diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index f9e4417e5..af3747e21 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -15,18 +15,19 @@ import (
 var Config *config
 
 type config struct {
-	IPFS                ipfs            `yaml:"ipfs"`
-	PublicHLSPath       string          `yaml:"publicHLSPath"`
-	PrivateHLSPath      string          `yaml:"privateHLSPath"`
-	VideoSettings       videoSettings   `yaml:"videoSettings"`
-	Files               files           `yaml:"files"`
-	FFMpegPath          string          `yaml:"ffmpegPath"`
-	WebServerPort       int             `yaml:"webServerPort"`
-	S3                  s3              `yaml:"s3"`
-	InstanceDetails     InstanceDetails `yaml:"instanceDetails"`
-	VersionInfo         string          `yaml:"-"`
-	DisableWebFeatures  bool            `yaml:"disableWebFeatures"`
-	EnableDebugFeatures bool            `yaml:"-"`
+	ChatDatabaseFilePath string          `yaml:"chatDatabaseFile"`
+	DisableWebFeatures   bool            `yaml:"disableWebFeatures"`
+	EnableDebugFeatures  bool            `yaml:"-"`
+	FFMpegPath           string          `yaml:"ffmpegPath"`
+	Files                files           `yaml:"files"`
+	IPFS                 ipfs            `yaml:"ipfs"`
+	InstanceDetails      InstanceDetails `yaml:"instanceDetails"`
+	PrivateHLSPath       string          `yaml:"privateHLSPath"`
+	PublicHLSPath        string          `yaml:"publicHLSPath"`
+	S3                   s3              `yaml:"s3"`
+	VersionInfo          string          `yaml:"-"`
+	VideoSettings        videoSettings   `yaml:"videoSettings"`
+	WebServerPort        int             `yaml:"webServerPort"`
 }
 
 // InstanceDetails defines the user-visible information about this particular instance.
diff --git a/core/chat/chat.go b/core/chat/chat.go
index 6bf51c4c3..85141a033 100644
--- a/core/chat/chat.go
+++ b/core/chat/chat.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 
 //Setup sets up the chat server
 func Setup(listener models.ChatListener) {
+	setupPersistence()
+
 	messages := []models.ChatMessage{}
 	clients := make(map[string]*Client)
 	addCh := make(chan *Client)
diff --git a/core/chat/persistence.go b/core/chat/persistence.go
index ab94423f5..cc85fe867 100644
--- a/core/chat/persistence.go
+++ b/core/chat/persistence.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/gabek/owncast/config"
 	"github.com/gabek/owncast/models"
 	"github.com/gabek/owncast/utils"
 	_ "github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3"
@@ -13,11 +14,11 @@ import (
 
 var _db *sql.DB
 
-func init() {
-	file := "./chat.db"
+func setupPersistence() {
+	file := config.Config.ChatDatabaseFilePath
 	// Create empty DB file if it doesn't exist.
 	if !utils.DoesFileExists(file) {
-		log.Traceln("Creating new chat history database...")
+		log.Traceln("Creating new chat history database at", file)
 
 		_, err := os.Create(file)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index b3fe12854..5902478cc 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ func main() {
 	log.Infoln(getVersion())
 
 	configFile := flag.String("configFile", "config.yaml", "Config File full path. Defaults to current folder")
+	chatDbFile := flag.String("chatDatabase", "", "Path to the chat database file.")
 	enableDebugOptions := flag.Bool("enableDebugFeatures", false, "Enable additional debugging options.")
 	enableVerboseLogging := flag.Bool("enableVerboseLogging", false, "Enable additional logging.")
 
@@ -48,6 +49,12 @@ func main() {
 	}
 	config.Config.EnableDebugFeatures = *enableDebugOptions
 
+	if *chatDbFile != "" {
+		config.Config.ChatDatabaseFilePath = *chatDbFile
+	} else if config.Config.ChatDatabaseFilePath == "" {
+		config.Config.ChatDatabaseFilePath = "chat.db"
+	}
+
 	// starts the core
 	if err := core.Start(); err != nil {
 		log.Error("failed to start the core package")